Wendy Sherman’s Country

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman’s briefing on the Iran pact reminds us of a test Secretary of State Shultz used give newly minted ambassadors of America as they were about to go out into the world. He would invite them into his office, walk them over to a globe, and ask them which is their country. The newly minted envoy would then spin the globe and stop it at the nation for which they were about to depart. Secretary Shultz would then spin the globe again, stopping it at America and exclaiming, “No, this is your country.”

We thought of this as we read, in a wire from Omri Ceren, of Under Secretary Sherman’s briefing of reporters on the accord just struck in Vienna. Mrs. Sherman was asked whether the Obama administration was prepared to hold off seeking at the United Nations the resolution by which it wants to bind America to the Iran accord. Mrs. Sherman replied by suggesting that we can’t really say, “Well excuse me, The World, you should wait for the United States Congress.”

Why in Blazes not? Why can’t a State under secretary say exactly that to the United Nations, an organization largely of non-democratic countries? What is the point of going to the Security Council in the first place with a pact that the Congress hasn’t approved and might well disapprove? We understand that it seems to be President Obama’s intention to do exactly that. Mrs. Sherman suggested this is justified because the whole plan of appeasement is a United Nations project.

That strikes us as all the more reason to go to the Security Council only after the legislatures of the democratic members of the Council’s five permanent members and Germany have had their say. Among the sanctions the plan of appeasement hopes to unravel, after all, are those established by the United States Congress in the face of a reluctant president. The way Under Secretary Sherman has formulated the matter raises the question as to whether it’s time for her to be carpeted in Secretary Shultz’s old office and asked to spin the globe.


The New York Sun

© 2024 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use